This year marks the 25th anniversary that local lawyer Ira Leesfield founded the Leesfield Family Foundation. This foundation, based in Miami, is primarily supported through funding from the Leesfield Family with intermittent donations from other sources.

Since 1990, the foundation has been committed to supporting local, national, and worldwide non-profit organizations, including Jewish ones, striving to provide the less fortunate with opportunities to live a healthy, productive life. It has also supported numerous scholarships recognizing minority law students who are dedicated to client advocacy and the preservation of the civil justice system.

"This [milestone anniversary] has allowed us to look back at what we've done over the past 25 years," Leesfield, who is also the founder and managing partner of the Miami-based personal injury law firm, Leesfield & Partners, P.A. "The number of organizations that we've helped, both Jewish and non-Jewish ones, is quite impressive and I'm very proud of that."

Leesfield, who lives in Miami, also noted that 25 years is a long time and that "longevity means a lot."

The foundation's officers and trustees include Leesfield, his wife Cynthia, and daughter Jennifer. Leesfield said that fully a third of the foundation's contributions are aimed towards Jewish organizations in a significant way. Among the local Jewish organizations the foundation has helped include the American Jewish Committee's Greater Miami and Broward Office, which honored Leesfield with the Judge Learned Hand Award in 2010, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Miami Jewish Health Systems, Jewish Adoption & Foster Care Options, Jewish Community Services of South Florida, the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach and Temple Judea in Coral Gables.

"I feel very fortunate that I could do something because anyone can talk about their success on how much they earned but not everyone can talk about success on how much they give," Leesfield noted.

Leesfield said that the foundation's contributions are consistent with his Jewish upbringing and culture.

"The Jewish values of the generation older than me allowed me to go to college and law school," he said. "When I was in high school, there was a Jewish professional women's organization in my hometown that got together and gave me a scholarship and that allowed me to go college because I didn't have any money and my mother was a single working mother. She raised three children on her own. She made very little money so I needed the help of Jewish organizations financially, emotionally and spiritually."

Leesfield also noted he was active in United Synagogue Youth that sent him scholarships to go to camp every year.

"The Jewish values became part of my upbringing and then when I was fortunate to get in the position where I could help others, it felt so natural to be able to pay it forward," he added.

Leesfield also noted that the foundation is funding organizations in Israel and that he has been working with his rabbi on that.

Leesfield's rabbi, Rabbi Gary Glickstein of Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, said Leesfield has been one of the synagogue's proud supporters for decades.

"We're grateful for his loyalty, devotion and friendship," Glickstein said. "Ira and I have shared many lunches and many ideas together. We've talked about how to make the community better and he's always been a wonderful advisor and confidant."

More information on the foundation can be found at leesfieldfamilyfoundation.org.